U.S. COIN REFERENCE · Mercury dime
Mercury dimes: Liberty’s wings and the bands on the reverse
The nickname identifies Liberty, while the mintmark and fasces decide the comparison.
By SalarsNet · Reviewed October 5, 2026
Winged Liberty and a bundle of rods
The obverse is Liberty wearing a winged cap, rather than the Roman god Mercury. The reverse fasces is a bundle of rods around an axe, accompanied by an olive branch. Preserve a full reverse image and the mintmark area before using a date/mint price reference.
Type references: PCGS Mercury Dime ↗
Full Bands needs visible separation
Inspect the bands under magnification with even lighting, then assess hair, wing, cheek, rods, and fields. The central band alone should not be treated as the complete designation test; use the chosen grading service’s published definition. Wear, weak striking, and a contact mark can each interrupt a line differently.
Type references: PCGS Mercury Dime ↗
The key and the overdates
The 1916-D and 1942 overdate issues are recognized collecting challenges. An extra stroke in a date is only a candidate until its required die markers match. Compare the same mint, confirmed attribution, and grade, with a Full Bands premium only when supported by the specimen or verified certification.
Type references: PCGS Mercury Dime ↗
Selected reviewed issue records
These catalog standards describe the named issue, not a measured specimen. The selected records below do not cover every date, mint, strike, or die variety. Reported production is labeled separately from established mintage. Unknown standards and mintage remain visible; survival estimates and certified populations are separate research questions.
No issue-level specification or mintage records are published for this category yet. Verify the exact date, mint, strike, metal, and subtype in its reference before using a numerical standard.
References and review
Reference reviewed October 5, 2026. Historical facts and catalog standards need to match the exact issue; price comparisons should be researched at the time of valuation.